Living Room Lighting Ideas

LIVING ROOM LIGHTING IDEAS

Living room lighting is very important to any home owner that takes his home decor seriously. The living room in most homes serves multiple important purposes, combining the functions of a TV/Movie room, guest lounge and family playground. Even in homes where all those have specially designated rooms, these activities still tend to converge in the living room, because of it’s large space and general versatility of function.

Here is where we should note that those three main activities and pastimes really require different lighting. Here is where versatility in the way things are lit and the ability to change and control the lighting scheme, tone and brightness become most important.

Potlights in the living room allow for a flexible lighting setup that will make it convenient for any activity that you choose to hold in the living room at the moment. When a single or even several traditional light fixtures can provide some flexibility, they will still obstruct the space and will create a certain feel to the room even when not in use. Potlights, however, can be strategically placed around the living room and will disappear unless or until in use. Also, you can install virtually as many of them as you wish.

POPULAR LIVING ROOM LIGHTING IDEAS FOR POTLIGHTS

We have gathered and will describe below several living room design ideas for potlights. Discover some amazing options for this simple but effective recessed lighting fixture.

The perimeter lighting

Potlights are placed along the walls in a rectangle and spread the light directly down, slightly towards the middle of the room. This is great for a cocktail party or other social event, when people stand and mingle, because it creates diffused, even lighting everywhere in the room, making the drink/appetizer stations visible and easy to use, and allows for mingling of guests and a general feeling of a friendly and welcoming space. Adjust the light during the evening to provide for the different moods of the gathering or dim it down to make a darker area in the middle to be used as a dance floor.

Lit walls

Lit walls technique is a variation of the first living room lighting idea. It is based on the same rectangular positioning of pot lights along the walls, with a minor adjustment – the beams are directed not inward but outward, creating well lit areas on the walls and lighting the room with the light reflected from them. This is perfect for a friend’s get-together, when people sit on the couches and converse. The atmosphere this creates is cozy and relaxing, while the positioning of the lights can emphasize artwork or statuary to enhance the beauty of the decor.

Middle lights, outward

The potlights are installed near the middle of the ceiling in a circular or rectangular pattern throwing light downwards and outwards, creating a well-lit area in the middle of the room (while making the whole room well lit also). This living room lighting idea is perfect for kids play times and kids parties because most of the activity in such occasions usually concentrates near the middle of the room.

Middle lights, down

As the previous idea, the lights are directly above the center of the room, but the beams are directed directly downwards. This is perfect to when you have a family meal and everyone is seated around the table. The table and those around it are the center of activity and the rest of the room is darkened as to be almost not there. It provides a feeling of enclosure, bringing people together.

Many more variations exist and can be explored, using combined patterns, color lamp bulbs and other clever tricks that the market can offer. Bear in mind that they can be combined and you can switch between them using a panel. New lighting fixtures, if installed right, can transform your living room and bring a vibrant new feel to your whole house.